American Madison Keys upset top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win the 2025 Australian Open. This win offers Keys her first ever Grand Slam title on the age of 29.
Keys instantly obtained Sabalenka on her again foot by profitable the primary set, together with three breaks of serve, however the two-time reigning Australian Open champion responded with a powerful effort within the second set, and it appeared like she was taking management of the match.
That arrange a back-and-forth third with Keys dropping in an ideal shot, which froze Sabalenka, for the win and to keep away from a championship tiebreak.
Keys is now the fourth-oldest first-time Grand Slam winner, and she or he made a bit extra historical past with this unbelievable run. Together with her win over No. 2 Iga Swiatek within the semifinals, Keys grew to become the primary participant to defeat the highest two gamers within the last two rounds of a Grand Slam since Venus Williams did it at Wimbledon in 2005.
Previous to this match, Keys had solely been to 1 Grand Slam last, the place she misplaced to Sloane Stephens within the 2017 US Open. It has been an extended street getting again thus far for Keys, and she or he thanked her crew for giving her the assumption she wanted to lastly break by.
“I’ve needed this for therefore lengthy, and I have been in a single different Grand Slam Remaining,” Keys mentioned after the match. “It didn’t go my means, and I did not know if I used to be ever going to get again to this place to attempt to win a trophy once more. My crew believed in me each step of the way in which, so thanks a lot.
“They believed in me once I did not imagine in myself and helped me each step of the way in which. Final yr was so powerful with some actually unhealthy accidents, and I did not know if I might be right here once more.”
Sabalenka was going for her third consecutive Australian Open win, and she or he would have been the primary participant to perform that feat since Martina Hingis from 1996-1999. As an alternative, in her post-match speech, Sabalenka lightened the temper by cracking some jokes on the expense of her coaches.
“As at all times, that is your fault, guys,” Sabalenka mentioned. “I do not need to see you for the subsequent week. I actually hate you. No actually, thanks a lot for every part you are doing for me and blah, blah, blah.
“I feel we did our greatest. Madison was simply enjoying unbelievable on a regular basis. I could not do something on this match. Subsequent time I play in opposition to Madison, I’ll deliver higher tennis.”
